Nurturing the Soil with Eliot Coleman

Symbolically, ecologically, geometrically—soil is, from nearly every perspective, the basis of life. A teeming, multifaceted world of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, earthworms, seeds, minerals, insects, decay and renewal, soil quality has long been the yardstick by which civilizations, and biospheres, rise and fall.

Yet, as Leonardo Da Vinci said, “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.” This remains sadly true today, with only an estimated 4 percent of all soil life identified, and many of its complex properties only barely understood. We have been able to mine the soil, utilizing a barebones understanding that modern science has achieved, to support rising agricultural yields, often with the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that deplete the soil.

For 40 years Eliot Coleman has pioneered another approach to interacting with the land. Relying on keen observation and a desire to feed the soil itself, Coleman has transformed a cold and rocky part of Maine into the successful organic and pesticide-free Four Season Farm. This experience has made Coleman one of the leading international voices for healthy soil practices. His numerous books include “The New Organic Grower,” “Four Season Harvest” and “The Winter Harvest Handbook.” In addition to his role as farmer and author, Coleman was the executive director of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements for two years and an adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture during its landmark 1979-80 study “Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming.”

“Organic farming appealed to me because it involved searching for and discovering nature’s pathways, as opposed to the formulaic approach of chemical farming. The appeal of organic farming is boundless; this mountain has no top, this river has no end.” ELIOT COLEMAN